How this Thousand Oaks site became a place of solace after Woolsey fire, mass shooting

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The Thousand Oaks Teen Center was a reunification site after the mass shooting on Wednesday at Borderline Bar & Grill, then hours later became an evacuation center for residents who were forced to evacuate, Friday, Nov. 9, because of the Woolsey fire. (Photo by Chris Yee/LA Daily News/SCNG)

Just a few hours later, the Teen Center’s doors opened to the community again, this time as an evacuation center for the fast-spreading Woolsey Fire.

“We’re thankful for the city of Thousand Oaks letting us use this beautiful building,” said American Red Cross spokeswoman Cindy Huge. “It’s been a huge benefit to the community.”

The American Red Cross operated both the reunification center and evacuation center.

Huge said the evacuation center has averaged about 250 people there at any given time. She said the Red Cross has nursing, mental health and other services available and is serving three hot meals a day for however long they need to be there.

Ventura resident Luke Billings was on hand as a volunteer, helping unload donations of food and water and helping people check for relatives between shelters.

Billings, a Westlake Village native, said he wanted to help for two reasons — he said he spent a great deal of time in his youth hanging out at Borderline and wanted to help in its aftermath, and he had family and friends displaced by last year’s Thomas Fire and knew how much help people would need.

“This community’s been hit hard in the past year,” Billings said.

Natural disasters like the Woolsey Fire, followed by gun violence. Billings said there should be a way to end problems with gun violence.

“We’re the richest, most powerful country with some of the most intelligent scholars, scientists and mathematicians, and we still can’t find a solution,” Billings said. “This has become the new norm.”

Billings said he knows it’s cliche to say but he never expected a shooting in his hometown.

“I know it’s a fact now that this could happen in Ventura and it can happen anywhere,” Billings said.

Christopher Yee is a reporter for the Pasadena Star-News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune covering cities in the west and central parts of the San Gabriel Valley. He grew up in Monterey Park and studied journalism at East Los Angeles College and UC Berkeley. You may find him at Dodger Stadium or at the Staples Center for L.A. Kings games.